Grand Valley State University has signed on to lease space from the Grand Rapids Downtown Market, an all-new destination for local food innovation, education and experimentation.

Faculty and students working on food and nutrition, as well as other health and community-related projects, can use the 350-square-foot space for outreach and collaborative research beginning in 2014.

“The Downtown Market’s vibrant business venue and its proximity to the Heartside neighborhood offer Grand Valley important opportunities for community-based teaching, research and programming,” said Jon Jellema, associate vice president for Academic Affairs. “We are excited about the possibilities of developing mutually beneficial partnerships with market vendors, other tenants and neighborhood groups.”

The Downtown Market will bring faculty and students in closer proximity to local chefs and food artisans.

“We are thrilled Grand Valley is joining the Downtown Market, as health and nutrition education is a core part of our mission,” said Mimi Fritz, president and CEO of the Downtown Market. “Students and faculty working and researching at the Market will bring energy and additional foot traffic to the space, and we’re eager to see what sort of partnerships arise between the vendors and tenants.”

The Downtown Market, which opened in August, is 138,000 square feet of fresh produce, artisan food, local farms, education and entertainment. The Market’s second floor contains more than 16,500 square feet of education space including classrooms and an incubator kitchen.